The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduces a significant change for private candidates from the 2026 board exams. The board announces that the option of choosing an additional subject will no longer be available for private students.
Until now, private candidates were allowed to take one extra subject along with the compulsory ones. This option helped many students either improve their marks or explore another academic field. However, CBSE has now decided to discontinue this provision starting with the 2026 examinations.
According to the board, this move will streamline the examination process and ease the evaluation system. CBSE highlights that students must now make more thoughtful choices while selecting their subjects, as they will not have the flexibility of an additional paper.
Key highlights:
- The new rule applies only to private candidates.
- Effective from academic session 2025–26.
- The extra subject option has been cancelled from the 2026 exams.
- The aim is to simplify evaluation and reduce load.
CBSE urges students and parents to keep checking the official website for updates and detailed guidelines.
For the official notification and further details, visit the official CBSE website.